There Will Come a Time, You'll See, When Love Won't Break Your Heart
by intheinkpot
Summary: As part of Regina's punishment, she is forced to release and restore the hearts she took as the Evil Queen. While doing so, she and Emma discover that Regina's mother didn't crush Daniel's heart, but hid it away. Stable Queen. Swan Queen.
1. Part I

**Part One**

Emma leaned against the outside of the house, carving away at a block of wood in her hand. It was meant to be a wolf, but she was out of practice and the edges were already wrong. Sighing, she reached into the leather bag beside her, searching for another block of wood. There was nothing there.

_Maybe I can fix this one,_ she thought, tongue between her teeth.

She looked up at the sky, wondering how long they had been there. As part of the conditions for Regina's release, Snow White and Prince Charming had forced Regina to return all the hearts she had stolen while she was Queen. The hearts from the chamber in the Castle had all been returned, but the truly important hearts had been squirrelled away inside Regina's abandoned childhood home.

Just as Emma was about to get up and go inside, Regina emerged from the house, pale and with glassy eyes fixed on a hill in the distance, clutching a dusty wooden box.

"Regina?" Emma asked. She pushed herself to her feet. "What wrong?"

Regina ignored her. She started for the hill. Emma hesitated and then stuffed her things in her leather bag and hurried after Regina.

"Regina!" Emma called. "What's going on?"

Regina didn't answer. As they approached the top of the hill, Emma saw a headstone come into sight. Her eyes widened. The look on Regina's face, the dusty wooden box, Daniel's grave. It couldn't be true, but as they approached the grave, Regina pulled a heart from the box, and the ground in front of the headstone began to glow. Before Emma could call out to Regina again, a wooden coffin rose from the earth.

With a flick of Regina's wrist, the lid flew off. Inside lay a young man who looked as though he were sleeping - not as though he had been supposedly dead for decades. Regina pushed the heart into his chest, her hand sliding through his flesh like it wasn't there, and deposited the heart inside.

The man gasped, eyes shooting open. Emma jumped back in shock, and Regina stood stock still.

"Regina?" Daniel asked, dazed.

"Daniel," Regina said. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "You're alive."

"Of course I am, but... What happened?"

Emma's heart sank when Regina pulled back, and she saw the adoration and love with which Regina was gazing at Daniel. It sank further when Daniel saw her and said, "Who is she?"

Regina turned to look at her and couldn't seem to find her voice. And then she did, and Emma wished she hadn't.

"She's my friend."

+

"I thought you were dead," Regina said, helping Daniel out of the coffin. "I saw my mother crush your heart into dust."

Daniel stepped out of the coffin, a little wobbly on his legs, and blinked around at their surroundings. His eyes fell on the abandoned house. "What happened?"

Regina stroked his cheek. "Don't worry about that now. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been asleep for far too long," Daniel said.

"I'll say," Emma muttered. Regina shot her a glare. Emma crossed her arms over her chest, hunching her shoulders. She knew she should be happy for Regina, but she just felt jealous and defensive. "What?"

"Ignore her," Regina said. She wrapped her hand around Daniel's. There was an ease with which she touched him, an ease with which she spoke to him, and an openness with him that she had never had with Emma. Emma's heart clenched. "We need to get you back to the castle. You need to be examined by a doctor."

Regina lead Daniel toward her horse. As she passed Emma, Emma muttered, "Be careful. Wouldn't want anyone to think you're robbing the cradle."

Regina glared at Emma, but Emma caught a glimpse of her expression turning troubled as she looked away. Emma figured it must finally be sinking in for her that Daniel didn't appear to have aged at all.

+

Daniel sat behind Regina on her horse. Emma bit the inside of her cheek, wrestling with her jealousy. Whatever she had hoped for once Regina realized that Daniel had not aged clearly hadn't manifested. Every time he rested his cheek against Regina's shoulder, each time Regina touched his arm as if to reassure herself that he was still there, it became harder not to say anything, to not snap at him to keep his hands off her girlfriend, to not run away.

"How long has it been?" Daniel asked. Emma had been wondering how much longer it would take him to ask. With an anticipation that made her sick, she waited for Regina's answer.

Regina paused a moment longer than Emma expected before; she must be subtracting the time spent in Storybrooke. _Too many questions, I suppose,_ Emma thought bitterly. _Wouldn't want that, would we?_

"It's been almost twenty years," Regina said, and Emma could hear the tears in her voice as Regina placed a hand on Daniel's arm and squeezed.

"Twenty years?" The shock and pain seemed to sink in slowly. Emma felt like she might throw up. After a moment, Daniel asked, "Did you marry the King?"

"Yes," Regina said slowly, "but he's dead now." Emma waited for Regina to mention that she was in a new relationship. She didn't. Regina turned to smile at Daniel, and the open and happy expression on her face was more than Emma could take.

Without a word, she nudged her horse into a canter and ignored Regina calling her name.

+

Emma ignored the looks and whispers of the servants as she stormed toward her rooms. She had to get out of here. She had to get away. _Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost is a fucking moron,_ Emma thought not for the first time.

She reached her rooms in record time, slammed the door and tossed her bag on the bed. She yanked open doors and closets, snatched up some leather jackets, pants and plain shirts and began stuffing them into the bag. Half way through packing, Emma heard the bedroom door open behind her. She spun around. James stared blankly at her bag.

There was silence for a minute.

"Daniel's back," Emma said. She owed him an explanation. He couldn't stop her from leaving, but she could give him this much. "Regina's true love. Turns out he wasn't dead after all." James raised his gaze, shock etched across his face. "She still loves him," Emma continued in a strained voice. "I can't compete with that." Emma turned away, back to her half-packed bag. "I promise I'll be back. I just need to get away from here. I can't..." She stuffed another shirt into her bag and then buckled the straps.

"Emma," James said, "promise me you'll be careful." And he looked at her so serious and concerned and accepting that Emma thought she might break all over again. Of all the reactions she had predicted, she never expected he would understand and support her need to get away.

"I promise." Emma crossed the room, grabbed her sword, and strapped it to her side. "See? I'll carry it everywhere." She paused, faltering. "Tell Henry not to blame Regina. I'm going to say goodbye to him, but, please, don't let him hate her. I know that's asking a lot but..."

"You're my daughter, Emma," James said, placing his hands on her shoulders and smiling at her through tears. He cupped her cheek. "Of course I'll do this for you."

He reached inside his vest and pulled out a small black bag. He shook a ring out of it and handed it to her. "My mother gave me this ring. She said true love follows it." Emma tried to slide the ring on her finger, but it was too tight. She grabbed a thin piece of leather from her bag, hooked it through the ring and tied it around her neck. James kissed Emma's forehead. "I hope you find true love on your travels."

"Thank you." Emma longed so hard for a life where he had been her father from the start that her chest ached.

+

As Emma left the castle, she caught sight of Regina and Daniel. She stopped her horse, ignoring the irritated _swish_ing of its tail. Daniel walked alongside Regina then, staring at the gleaming castle with wide eyes. Regina seemed to be searching for something. Emma realized Regina was looking for her, and for a moment she thought about calling out to Regina who wouldn't think to look down the path that led along the lake. But she stopped herself.

To her surprise, Regina did tear her gaze from the bridge and the castle gates beyond to check the other paths. Her eyes met Emma's. Emma tried to keep her face blank. She had never been as good as Regina when it came to her poker face, though, and she saw Regina's head tilt downward slightly. She thought Regina might have caught sight of the bags tied to the sides of the saddle. If she did, though, Regina did nothing more than stare at them for a moment before continuing her way over the bridge.

Emma knew she shouldn't torture herself by watching Regina keep riding. Periodically, Regina would look over her shoulder as though to check that Emma was still there. But she never stopped moving forward. If Regina had any concern for her, it was outweighed by her concern for Daniel. A part of a Emma knew that was fair: after all, Daniel had just come out of an enchanted sleep that had kept him suspended in time. But it wouldn't stop. Regina would always choose Daniel over her.

Emma knew she should leave, but she couldn't bring herself to leave just yet, and so she watched Regina until she disappeared behind the castle gates.

+

"Take him to a doctor," Regina ordered the nearest servant the second they entered the castle gates. She caught sight of James and Snow White standing nearby, looking as though they had been waiting. Emma must have told them what happened. If that was the case, then where was Emma going? Why had she ridden off like that earlier? Regina noticed Daniel hesitate beside her, reluctant to be led away by the servants tugging at his arms. "I'll be along in a minute, Daniel. I need to check on Emma first."

Looking uncertain, Daniel allowed himself to be led away. Regina studied Snow White's expression of shock and wonderment as Daniel walked past them.

Regina waited until Daniel entered the castle before turning on her horse to face Snow White and James. "Where is Emma headed?"

They shared a look that set Regina on edge. Her fears were confirmed when Snow said, "Emma's leaving, Regina."

Regina gripped a fist full of her horse's mane, feeling light-headed. "Why?"

"She knows that Daniel is your true love," James said gently. "You won't pick her over him, and she decided to give you both some space."

"She's gone?" Regina said. Her voice sounded strange, as if it wasn't her own, and her mind shot back to seeing Emma riding along the edge of the cliff that encircled the lake. She saw bags tied to the saddle, but she had been too consumed with ensuring Daniel's safety and health to think about what it meant. "Where is she going?"

"She didn't say," James said.

"When is she coming back?" Regina asked despite the heaviness that settled on her chest. No matter what she suspected, she had to know.

"We don't know," Snow said, looking at her oddly. "She refused to tell me." She shot a glare at James. "She refused to say goodbye to me properly, too. Impulsive like her father."

Regina clenched her fist tighter around the clump of her horse's mane. It tossed its head irritably at the tugging on its neck. "So she's just gone?" Regina asked, forcing her hand to loosen and allow the horse to pull most of the strains of its mane from her between her fingers. "With no way to contact her?"

James appeared to study her for a moment before he breathed in sharply, eyes widening. Regina hated the way that he seemed to understand parts of her without trying. "I'm sorry, Regina," he said. From the look Snow gave him, Regina knew Snow didn't understand and for that small mercy, she was thankful.

Without a word, Regina tightened her hold on the reins. She turned her around to face the bridge and set off at a gallop. The guards scattered as she flew past. The sound of hoofs clattering on the bridge filled her head, and then the sound turned to pounding when the hoofs hit dirt. Regina guided her horse down the side path where she had seen Emma.

She wasn't sure how long she rode like this down the path before she brought her horse down to a canter and then slowed to a walk. Emma couldn't have been more than ten or twenty minutes ahead of her. _I should have caught up with her by now..._

She scanned the road ahead which curved around the lake, giving her a clear view of what lay ahead. In her haste, she hadn't thought to do this before running off, but now that she did, she couldn't seen Emma anywhere. Regina's heart sank. _She must have taken a side path off of the road._ If Emma had done that, Regina would never find her. Most of the paths weren't even paths, per se, but areas through the woods where the ground was flat and clear of fallen branches.

Regina listened to her horse's heavy breaths for a long minute. Emma was nowhere to be seen. Daniel was in the castle waiting for her. She should go back. Emma would return soon enough. She wouldn't leave Henry for long, or Snow or James, and she wouldn't leave Regina. Emma had told her that one night after they had had too much wine and lay curled together on Regina's bed with Henry sound asleep just down the hall. Emma said she wouldn't leave even if Henry was right. She wouldn't leave even if Regina was the Evil Queen, and Emma hadn't. Emma had said she would be there for as long as Regina wanted her.

A hard lump lodge itself in Regina's throat. She remembered what James had said: Emma knew Daniel was her true love, and Emma knew Regina wouldn't pick her. Emma said she would be there for as long as Regina wanted her, and Emma didn't think Regina wanted her anymore.

Regina clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry. _There's no one around,_ she thought. _It's okay to cry now._ But old habits died hard, and this one refused to die.

Emma was nowhere to found.

No one knew where she was going or when she would return.

Emma was gone.

Regina dismounted her horse, sat on a nearby log and buried her face in her hands. She felt her horse nudge her shoulder with its nose, its hot breath washing over the side of her face. And Regina finally cried.

Emma was gone.


	2. Part II

**Part Two**

Regina returned to the castle in daze. She had one goal in mind: find Daniel. Emma was gone, but she would be damned before she lost Daniel again. Her boots clicked on the stone floor as she hurried toward the medical wing of the castle. That would be where he was.

Using magic, the door opened seconds before she reached it. Her steps never faltered as she passed through the doorway and headed for a bed on the far side of the room. Daniel sat one of the beds with Snow White hovering over him looking anxious. James was speaking to Daniel in a low voice.

As Regina approached, James looked up. "Did you catch her?"

"No," Regina said. At her clipped tone, Daniel turned to her in surprise. For a moment, he stared at her as if he didn't recognize her. Regina slowed her steps and smiled at him. Daniel smiled back, his body visibly relaxing. "How are you feeling?"

Daniel swallowed. "Um. Disoriented. Confused. I'm still trying to understand what's going on."

Regina cupped Daniel's cheek in her palm. "I don't understand either. I saw my mother crush your heart." Blinking back tears, she wrestled with herself. Then she allowed a tear to slid down her cheek as she leant down and kissed his forehead. "I missed you." A hard lump lodged itself in her throat.

"I..." Daniel swallowed again. "They wouldn't tell me anything." His eyes moved slowly from Snow White to James and then to Regina. "I want to know what happened while I was asleep, but..."

Regina grasped Daniel's hands in hers. "I know this is confusing, dear, but you have to relax."

Daniel looked her in the eyes, stricken. "Why won't anyone tell me?" Panic seemed to be setting in. Regina could see the shock of the day finally bearing down on him. "Everyone's so different, and I..."

Regina knew her eyes were watering as she cupped Daniel's chin, forcing him to keep his eyes on her. "A lot has happened. I've..." She forced the words out. "I've done things I'm not proud of. Please, let's just have this, have now before we..."

Daniel groped for her other hand and clasped it in his. "Okay."

Regina kissed him gently, lovingly, and he kissed back the way he always had before. But something was wrong: it didn't feel the same as their kisses had before. While their kisses before had been easy, had made her smile and her heart pound, this time Regina felt nothing. No instinctive smile, no speeding up of her heartbeat. As Regina pulled back, and took in Daniel's stricken face, she knew he felt the same.

She stroked his hair and pressed her lips to his forehead. "Everything will be just fine."

. . .

Daniel stared at the floor, his expression blank. His breaths were shallow, and his face pale. They were alone in the medical wing.

After a day of questions, Regina broke down and told him everything that happened during the time he had been asleep. Her narrative was punctuated with further questions and some protests. About the time she revealed that she killed her father to enact the Dark Curse, he fell silent. The next time he spoke was when she told him about adopting Henry.

"Will I meet him?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Yes," she said.

He had no further reactions as the tale progressed. Regina wished he would speak. Her voice was growing hoarse from the hours of talking.

Daniel lifted his head after another moment and said, "You were in a relationship with Princess Emma." Regina could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "What does that mean for us?"

Regina reached out, placing a hand over his. "Nothing. It doesn't mean anything for us. _You're _my true love." As she said this, she remembered their kiss from the other day. She could tell from his expression that Daniel was remembering the same thing.

He slid off the bed and said, "I need to go for a ride. I need to think." He strode toward the doorway, and Regina let him go. Halfway to the door, he stopped, turned and headed back to her. Before she could ask what was wrong, he kissed her. It was soft and gentle, but like their last it held none of the things she remembered. Daniel pulled away, his hands on her cheeks, and met her gaze seriously. "I still love you. I just need some time."

Regina turned her head to kiss his palm. "I know."

. . .

True to her word, Emma carried her sword with her everywhere. The courier she was giving instructions to kept letting his gaze drift down to the sword at her hip for the fifth time in two minutes. In Emma's opinion, carrying a sword at a market wasn't that usual.

"Hey, you," Emma growled, "are you listening to what I'm saying?"

The man's eyes shot back to hers. "Oh, yes, of course, ma'am. Now, you want me to take this..." He unfolded the piece of cloth cradling the wooden rabbit Emma had carved to perfection. "...to the Palace?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Emma said. "It's for Prince Henry. He'll know who it's from."

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to - "

"If giving anonymous presents to the Prince bothers you, alert the King and Queen. Tell them an irritable blonde gave you that." Emma smirked. "They'll know who I am." The man still looked hesitant. Emma rolled her eyes and pulled a few more gold coins from her pocket. "Maybe this could convince you?"

The man's gaze drank in the sight of the coins. Emma titled her hand so the coins caught the sunlight and glinted.

"Do we have a deal?" Emma asked.

"Yes, ma'am, of course," the man said. He took the coins and left.

Emma sighed, flopping back into her chair. The market hadn't been going well for her. She had brushed up on her whittling skills, but her various wooden animals couldn't compete with the numerous stalls selling clothes and tools. Only the more wealthy people could afford to spend money on trinkets.

That didn't bother Emma, though. She had a sackful of coins hidden in her bag, wrapped up tight in several shirts so the coins wouldn't clink together. It did, however, make the market fairly boring. But she needed _something _to do, and this allowed her to bounce from place to place as she chose. She would move either today or tomorrow. She was closer to the Palace than she had been in a month. It wouldn't take the courier long to reach it. Undoubtedly, Snow and James would want to know where she was. Perhaps they would even try to find her. But Emma wasn't ready to go back yet. She sent the piece to Henry so they would know she was okay, and that was all.

Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _At least I don't have a lot to move, _she thought.

That didn't give her the comfort she thought it would.

. . .

Regina stared out the open window over the Palace courtyard. The breeze whispered against the silk of her dress and caressed her skin. It was a cool contrast to the hot sun that beat down from overhead. Stories below, she saw Daniel saddling Snow's horse in order to take it for a walk and stretch its legs. Regina smiled; just the sight of Daniel, alive and happy, brought her joy.

The smile slowly vanished when she saw three more servants, each saddling a horse belonging to James, Henry and herself. Emma's horse was the only one missing.

"Do you miss her?"

Regina turned toward James's voice; the expressionless mask that she had worn for so long slid into place. Daniel hated that mask. Regina struggled to be more open, more like he remembered, but it had been too long since she voluntarily wore her heart on her sleeve.

James approached, stopped within a foot of her, and peered out the small window.

"Ah," he said. "I see Snow is going to talk to Daniel."

Regina turned back to the window. Below, she saw the figure of Snow White walking toward the center of the courtyard where Daniel was double checking the saddle. "It would appear so." She tried, and failed, to hide the protective instinct that flared up inside her.

To his credit, James kept his tone gentle and even. "Nothing is going to happen to him, you know. Snow would die before she hurt you like that again."

Regina scoffed. "I'm sure she would."

"She would," James said. "She's still angry at you, of course, as am I. But she believes you have both suffered enough. She wants to move on."

Regina watched as Daniel laughed at something Snow said. He handed the reins of her horse to her, and he took Regina's horse from another stable boy. "She's going riding with him?"

"She felt they had some things to talk about," James said, leaning against the castle wall. "We both felt we had some things to discuss with the two of you."

"Oh?"

"Yes," James said. He paused a moment before continuing. "Do you miss Emma? And be honest with me. Please."

"Yes," Regina said.

"Do you still love her?"

"Yes," Regina said. And then added, "But not as much as I love Daniel."

"You're very different than when he last saw you," James said.

"I know."

"There seems to be a lot of tension between you two. I can see the happiness he brings you, but I wonder if he is really your true love." James held up a hand when Regina glared and began to speak. "I'm not saying that he never was. But you're a very different person that you were from what Snow tells me. He may not be your true love anymore."

Regina clenched her jaw, frowning. In the courtyard, Daniel and Snow mounted their horses and began a plodding walk through the gates and across the bridge.

Regina knew she could still trust Daniel - he hadn't left despite all she had revealed about what she had done, after all - and she was more open and affectionate with him than she had been with anyone since she thought he had died. But the more intimate touches, those shared between people in love and not just best friends, felt awkward and forced now. Despite the suspicions in the back of her mind, Regina refused to give up. They just needed some time.

After a few minutes of silence, Regina saw James shrug out of the corner of her eye.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Regina." He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I agree with Snow. We need to put the past behind us now. For our sakes, for Emma's and for Henry's. Please don't get so caught up in the past that you don't see what's right in front of you." James dropped his hand to his side. "That said, if you are sure, I wish you and Daniel every happiness."

"Thank you," Regina said. She knew he was waiting for her to say more, but she kept her eyes on the tree line where Snow and Daniel had disappeared.

A minute later, James left. Regina stayed where she was, allowing herself to become lost in thought once more.

. . .

Emma grinned in triumph when the fire began to crackle and glow. The nights were beginning to cool considerably, and she pulled on her fur cloak. Aside from the confined space and guaranteed roof, Emma decided camping in the forests wasn't much different from living in her car.

She sighed. Part of her hoped that she wouldn't be forced to start sleeping at inns, while the other part wished she would. Staying at an inn put her in danger of having word of her whereabouts get back to Snow and James. She missed them, but she was nowhere near ready to come back. She wasn't ready to see them, either. She might not ever be ready to go back. She thought time might help her, but it hadn't.

The only problem was that she, Emma Swan, missed people. She missed Henry, James and Snow. Most of all, she missed Regina. She wondered how Regina was doing, and an image flashed through her mind of Regina smiling at Daniel, and another of them kissing.

Scowling, Emma squeezed her eyes shut. She called to mind the last time she and Regina made love: the sound of Regina's voice as she gasped and sighed and moaned; the way her body felt when she arched against Emma's, their bare skin pressed together; the stillness and contentment afterward when they caught their breath, and the way Regina slipped into sleep before Emma for the first time. The way she felt so trusted and content.

And then the image changed to one of Regina and Daniel tangled in the sheets of Regina's bed.

Emma's eyes snapped open. Tears pricked her eyes. She wiped them away furiously before they could begin to fall, and she threw another log on the fire. A shower of sparks leapt into the air; embers scattered on the forest floor around the fire.

Emma watched the embers burn, cool, and finally go out.


	3. Part III

**Part Three**

"Mom!" Henry called. Regina looked away from brushing her horse to see him racing across the Palace courtyard toward the stables. "Mom, look!" He jumped over a pile of hay and skidded to a stop in front of Regina. He grinned, clutching something in one hand.

Regina paused halfway through brushing her horse's neck, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Daniel watching them from an adjacent stall. Henry frowned at Daniel. He had been struggling with Daniel's presence, and though he hadn't said as much, Regina knew Henry blamed Daniel for Emma's absence.

"What is it, Henry?" Regina asked, putting down her brush. Henry held out a wooden rabbit, and Regina knelt in front of him. She took the rabbit from his hands and turned it over carefully, examining it. "It's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

Henry grinned. "Emma sent it to me."

Regina tore her gaze away from the rabbit, startled. "Emma?" She felt like her heart was being squeezed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I thought you'd like seeing it. It means Emma's okay, and that she's thinking of us."

Regina blinked rapidly a few times and handed the rabbit back to Henry. She placed it in his palm and curled his fingers around it firmly before she let go so there was no chance he would drop it. "You're right. Did she send a message?"

"No," Henry said, frowning. "I think she just wanted to let us know she was okay. She's probably not ready to come back yet."

Would she ever be? As the weeks dragged on, Regina became more aware that before Storybrooke Emma had bounced from place to place, running from her problems. She thought that had changed, but perhaps Emma had finally run from them. Her hope that Emma would return of her own volition was dwindling.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Daniel strode out of his horse's stall and crouched beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She will come back, Regina. I know she will."

Despite the difficulties of their relationship - or perhaps because of them - Daniel was amazingly understanding of Regina's desire to have Emma return. Regina leaned into his side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head. It was innocent, nothing more than a gesture of comfort, and Regina marveled at the ease of that action.

She noticed Henry studying them. Regina allowed herself another moment of taking comfort from Daniel before she gently pulled away and stood. "Come on, Henry. Why don't we find a safe place in your rooms to put that rabbit?"

"Okay," Henry said. He waited until they were inside the castle and well out of earshot of Daniel before he continued, "I think you and Daniel get along better as friends than when you're trying to be in love."

Startled, Regina's step faltered. "What?"

"I know you don't think I notice it, but you and Daniel get..." He paused for a moment, his face scrunched up as if searching for the right word. "Weird." He shrugged. "You're really awkward when you try to be in love with him." He looked up at her. "You're not awkward when you're just being friends, though."

Regina struggled to keep her composure. Henry was intelligent, but he was still only eleven years old, and it seemed impossible to explain her tangled and confused feelings in a way that would make sense to him. How could he understand how it felt to have spent years believing the person she loved most was dead - the person whose death she had sought vengeance for - only to discover that he had been alive the whole time?

There wasn't a way, and so she kept silent.

. . .

It took another two months for Emma realize that she was no longer capable of living alone. She needed people now. She needed friends and family. She couldn't pull off living years - or even half a year - with nothing more than shallow relationships and one night stands. Storybrooke had ruined her.

_This is a very bad idea _played on repeat in Emma's head, but still she kept her horse plodding along through the woods until she reached a large clearing where a wooden house stood. Emma smiled when she saw a red-cloaked figure emerge from a chicken coop.

She dismounted her horse and headed toward the house. "Hey, Ru - Red!" Emma called.

Red spun to face Emma. Red shouted her name, dropping the basket in her hands, and ran toward Emma as fast as she could with her cloak billowing out behind her. She threw her arms around Emma's neck, hitting Emma with enough force to knock her back a few steps.

"Hey, I didn't know you missed me so much," Emma said.

"We've all been worried about you," Red said, and Emma couldn't help but feel guilty. "I know you sent Henry that rabbit a few weeks ago, but still, Emma."

"I'm sorry," Emma said as Red pulled away and slapped her arm lightly. "I just needed some space from Regina. With Daniel coming back and everything."

Red gave her a sympathetic look. "Regina misses you, Emma. She doesn't say anything, but Henry's told me."

Emma shook her head. "She has Daniel."

"Oh, Emma, you _really_need to talk to her."

"But Daniel - "

"I don't know the whole story. But I know she misses you, and she gets this look on her face every time your name is mentioned. Please just go talk to her. If you need more time after that then take it, but please go."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me, Red. I mean it," she added when saw Red about to protest. "But I missed you too. Would it be okay if I stayed here for a week?"

Red smiled. "Stay as long as you like."

. . .

A knock on her chamber door drew Regina's attention from the spell book she had been pouring over for the last hour. Sighing, she set the book down and opened the door. Snow White stood on the other side, staring up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Is there a problem?" Regina asked, keeping one hand firmly on the door.

Snow held out a piece of parchment. "Red sent me this letter."

Regina rose her eyebrows. "And?"

Snow took a steadying breath as though her next words would cost her and said, "Emma is at her house."

Regina tightened her grip on the door, struggling to keep her face blank. "I see." Her voice was strained. Emma had been found. She was sure her knuckles must be turning white with how hard she gripped the door.

Snow's gaze flicked to Regina's hand and then back to her eyes. "When I spoke to Daniel, I told him the same things James told you. You need to make a choice. I haven't forgiven you yet, but Emma is my daughter. For whatever reason, she loves you. So..." Snow handed Regina the parchment. "I wrote down how to get to Granny's house on the back of the letter. Emma won't stay at Granny's forever so don't take too long to decide." With that, Snow turned and strode away.

Regina turned the letter over and stared at the directions.

. . .

Daniel looked up from unlacing his boots when Regina entered his rooms. She paused in the doorway, taking a moment to gather her thoughts - which were as scattered as the surprisingly numerous possessions Daniel had managed to collect over the past three months. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room and closed the door.

"You look like you need to talk." Daniel patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Why don't you sit down?"

Regina sat down next to him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Emma's been found," Regina said, not quite able to meet his eyes.

"You want to go to her," Daniel said. He didn't sound upset or angry. She brought her gaze up to meet his. He smiled at her sadly. "It's okay, Regina. I've been thinking, and...you should find Emma."

Regina's eyes widened. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine," Daniel said. He placed a hand over Regina's where it rested on her knee. "We've been trying to make this work, trying to make things like they were, but we can't." He glanced away for a moment and took a deep breath. "Too much time has passed, and too much has happened." He squeezed her hand. "I love you, Regina. I always will. It just has to be a different kind of love now."

Regina smiled. Tears slipped down her cheeks which Daniel whipped away. "I love you too, Daniel."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he stood, took hold of Regina's hands and pulled her to her feet. "Now go find the Princess."

. . .

A few days later, when Emma opened Granny's front door to see Regina staring at her like she'd forgotten what Emma looked like, Emma decided she was going to kill Red. Werewolf or no, Emma was going to kill her when she and Granny came back from town.

Emma kept one hand on the door, prepared to close it. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Regina said. Her gaze trailed up and down Emma's body, the same way it had when they first met. "You've been gone for months."

"Only three," Emma said. "You'd be impressed how long I could disappear before Storybrooke. I don't plan to stay long." A tinge of panic entered Regina's expression. _Well, that's interesting._"What do you want to talk about?"

Regina looked pained. "I never meant for you to think I didn't love you. Please, come back."

Emma tensed, her heart pounding. She glared. "You called me your friend."

"Daniel had just woken up after twenty years. I thought he was dead!" Regina's voice rose. "He was disoriented and confused, and the last thing he remembered was that we were engaged." Tears sprang to Regina's eyes. Emma felt like shrinking into herself. "I didn't know what to do." Then her anger seemed to be outweighed by her desperation, and she reached out for Emma, who flinched away. "Please."

"You love him." Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "You're happy when he's around. The way you looked at him... You've never looked at me that way."

"You're right, I still love him," Regina said, and Emma felt her eyes burn, "but I've realized that I'm not _in_love with him anymore. Too much has passed since that night. Daniel is still the man I fell in love with, but I'm not the person he loved. We can't make it work."

Emma looked away. Just because Regina and Daniel couldn't make it work didn't mean that she was willing to be a consolation prize.

"I never wanted you to leave," Regina said. Emma felt a hand rest on her arm. "I came after you that day. They told me you were leaving, and I tried to stop you. I'm so sorry, Emma."

Emma blinked back her tears. She refused to let Regina see her cry. Regina cupped Emma's cheek and placed a finger under her chin, lifting Emma's head to meet her gaze. "Daniel and I will always have a connection. We're still friends, and he will be a fantastic role model for Henry. But I'm choosing _you_, Emma."

Emma stared at Regina, studying her features carefully for any hint of a lie. And then she leaned forward and kissed Regina hard on the mouth. She pulled Regina against the wall. Her hands gripped Regina's hips, and then she slid one hand down to rest on Regina's ass, and the other up to Regina's back.

"I love you," Regina gasped between kisses.

"I love you too." Emma slipped her hand into Regina's pants, sighing softly when her hand came into contact with the bare skin of Regina's ass. She squeezed, and Regina moaned. "You think Granny will mind if we have sex in her doorway?"

"Probably," Regina said. "Do you have a room?"

"Yes." Emma nibbled on Regina's earlobe and growled when she felt Regina's knees buckle.

Regina whimpered. "Take me there."

. . .

Regina rested her head on Emma's chest with a contented sigh. Emma trailed the tip of one finger up and down Regina's skin. Regina placed a kiss to Emma's chest and pressed her body closer against Emma's.

"I missed you," Regina said, hating the way her voice quivered ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "I shouldn't have left."

Regina couldn't bring herself to deny that, so she kept silent and kissed Emma's bare skin once more. "You'll be coming back with me, of course." She intended for it to be a statement, but her voice rose slightly at the end, betraying it as a question.

She felt Emma press her lips against her forehead and murmur against her skin, "Yes."

Regina sighed in relief. They lay in silence for a few minutes before Emma said, "Is Daniel going to remain at the Palace?"

Regina tensed, wondering if this was when Emma changed her mind. "Yes. He works at the stables in the Palace now." She felt the vibrations as Emma gave a low hum in response. "It won't be a problem, Emma. He knows how I feel about you. We discussed it."

"Okay," Emma said. "I believe you."

. . .

The castle courtyard was alive with activity when Emma and Regina returned. James stood outside the castle gates with a smile on his face. Emma frowned when she saw Daniel standing beside him, looking nervous and hopeful.

"I'm glad you found true love on your travels," James said, grinning at Emma.

Emma flashed him a smile, dismounted her horse, and moved around her horse to stand in front of Daniel. He watched her nervously. Behind her, she heard Regina's feet hit the ground.

"I'm glad to see you've returned, Princess Emma," he said. "I'm happy Regina was able to find you."

He was genuinely pleased for Regina, and Emma felt her hostility towards him ebbing away. "Me too." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Daniel. And you can call me Emma." It would take some time, she knew, before she fully trusted that his presence wouldn't jeopardize her and Regina's relationship. But she would try her best to curb the jealousy she felt toward him. He was important to Regina, and Emma never wanted Regina to have to lose someone she loved ever again.

Regina's hand slipped into her own. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Regina and Daniel share a smile before Daniel entered the Palace courtyard and headed toward the stables. Emma clamped down on her jealousy.

"He's a good friend," Emma said. She felt Regina's tension slip away. "I'm glad you have him." And she was, despite her insecurities.

"Thank you."

Emma turned to face her fully, giving Regina's hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Regina."

Regina kissed her then, and Emma felt her smile against her lips.


End file.
